


Act Like You Love Me

by DamsInDistress



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M, This Does Not End Well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9606023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamsInDistress/pseuds/DamsInDistress
Summary: 2 years later and Max still owns his heart.





	

Carlos was pacing. He doesn't know why he was feeling this way when he knew what he literally signed up for. It was two years ago that Max broke up with him. Max took it well, or as far as Carlos knows, since he quickly moved on to another team and to whoever he chose to share his bed with.

He never really thought about what would happen if he ended up in the same team as Max again. You don't exactly say no when they offer you the vacant Red Bull seat. So Carlos signed the contract and went home that day with a huge smile on his face knowing that he just secured one of the best seats for the season. That was how he felt until his phone buzzed to reveal a number that he should have blocked and deleted a long time ago. 

_'Congrats, teammate ;)'_ The message reads. A message from Max and Carlos felt his head spin. It wasn't like their first conversation in the two years that they've broken up. They really did try to stay friends and act civil towards each other. But every time that Max was around Carlos would just feel his heart drop and that was when he knew that he wasn't kidding anyone let alone himself. They've exchanged greetings during birthdays and during the holidays but not really anything else. Carlos was pretty sure that if he scrolled back long enough he could still find those words that Max sent him to end it all. _'I'm tired Carlos. I can't do this anymore.'_

Carlos never really got the chance to reply to Max's message since he was heading to Red Bull HQ the next day. And just as luck would have it, Max was also around. The younger man greets Carlos with a smile which Carlos returns even if he could feels that it was a bit tense on his part. "Told you we'd be here someday." Max teases and Carlos almost recoiled at those words but he forces himself to laugh because that was one of the things that they'd talk about once when they were laying wrapped in each other's arms at 2 in the morning. To be driving for Red Bull and fighting each other for the win and the championship. And now it was all slowly starting to come true just that Carlos doesn't know why he can't feel completely happy about it. That there was a missing piece to the puzzle and he knows what that might be. He's just not ready to admit it yet. 

Maybe that's why he ended up calling Dany to come over to his place. The Russian eventually ended up at Renault after Pierre took his seat. The move didn't really bother him since it was to a factory team and he's been aching to break free from Red Bull but not really leave F1. He brought Kevin with him after picking him up from the Haas factory and also cake, mostly for him and Kevin as Carlos worries. "It's been two years." Dany says as Carlos continues to pace in front of him. Kevin was just coming back with tea for him and Dany as the Russian takes another bite of cake. "He acts like nothing happened. He was just so casual about it." Carlos says as he looks at his friends. "It's been two years." Kevin repeats Dany's words, having witnessed the initial fallout himself as Dany took care of his sad friend two years ago. 

"So it's okay to act like that? To just be casual about hurting my feelings like that? Is that what you mean?" Carlos says to the two of them, his tone almost angry. "No. That was still a dick move to breakup with you through text and never really talking about it in person but he's moved on. Can you really be mad at him about that?" Dany asks and Carlos finally stops his pacing when he can't answer his question. "Maybe Max is trying to be nice. Unless something happens then the two of you will have to work together for the next two years and starting on a bad foot isn't really ideal." Dany reasons. "Either talk to him or let it go. That's the only real way to get answers if you really want answers." Kevin adds. Carlos knows that both of them were right. It's just up to him which one he'll choose to do. 

And before Carlos knew it they were all in Spain for testing. They may not be in Madrid but it was still home and he was glad that his dad was around during the launch to tell him how proud he was of him. They smile and pose for the cameras as they take the sheet off of the new car. He stands next to Max with the biggest smile on his face as he ignores the little voice in his head saying, _'he's still your ex-boyfriend, just so you know,'_ as he tries to focus on all the flashing cameras in front of them. Even if it wasn't his turn to test the car he still had to stay and talk to the media and go over whatever data they get from Max. Which was the easy part of this entire deal. Just being Carlos the racing driver in front of the team and in front of Max was the easy part. If only he could keep it that way for the rest of the season. 

He was about to eat his lunch when someone pulls the chair next him and sits down with their own lunch. It was Max. Max smiles at him before he eats a forkful of pasta and chews. "Car seems good." Max says as he swallows his food. "Oh?" Carlos says, not really sure what else to say. "Mhmm. We're gonna have it good this year." Max says with a smile. "Sure hope so." Carlos says without looking at Max as he eats some more of his food. "Are you okay?" Max asks, the concern in his voice was anything but fake. Carlos stared at Max for a good few seconds. He could tell the truth and say that he's not okay, that working with his ex-boyfriend that dumped him out of the blue still hurts like a bitch especially every time he looks at him as if nothing happened. So Carlos picked to lie instead. "I'm fine." He says before he stands and throws his half-eaten lunch before he goes to his cool-down room. 

"He's too nice! Why is he too nice?" Carlos all but shouts at his laptop. He was Face timing Dany who was home in Monaco. _"Wow mate, you're really complaining about that? What do you want, him trying to mess up your setup and break your car?"_ Dany says in one breath as he gives his friend his most unamused face. "No. It's just, weird." Carlos says as he shudders at how nice Max has been to him even after testing. Getting him coffee in between engineering meetings, even sharing half a cookie with him. Carlos even went as far as sniffing them to check of they were poisoned. He was that paranoid. _"Just go with it or better yet ask him what's going on to put an end to everything."_ Dany suggests and Carlos raises his brows at his friend's words. "No. I'm not doing that." Carlos says with finality. Dany rolls his eyes before Kevin's voice filters through the other end. _"I need to go. Have fun torturing yourself."_ Dany says before the video cuts and Carlos was left in some form of his own personal hell. 

"Can we talk?" The words coming from Max as he catches Carlos heading back to the simulator after having his lunch. "Uhm, yeah." Carlos says as he follows Max to one of the empty offices around the factory. Carlos' mind was going a mile a minute thinking about what Max could possibly want to talk about when he hears the door shut and Max turns to face him. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." Max says as he looks at Carlos with wide regretful eyes. "Sorry about what?" Carlos asks, because Max couldn't possibly be sorry for breaking his heart, not after all this time. "Everything. I'm sorry for everything." Max adds. "It's been two years." Carlos says, voice devoid of emotion. "Two years of me thinking if I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting you go." Max says almost pleadingly. "What's done is done. We can't take anything that happened back." Carlos adds. "Do you still love me?" Max asks. Carlos' eyes snap up to meet Max's. "Does it matter when you don't?" Carlos shoots back before he walks past Max and out of the room.


End file.
